STATEMENT BY PREMIER HON. RALPH T. O’NEAL, OBE “AUGUST FESTIVITIES AND THE REINTRODUCTION OF THE SUMMER VISA PROGRAMME”

Friday July 30th, 2010

Good evening, British Virgin Islanders,

I will like to take this opportunity to wish you a happy holiday season, a joyful holiday and a holiday in which we should enjoy ourselves, we rest ourselves, but we should participate as much as possible in what is being prepared for us all for August Week.

The celebration of our emancipation goes back a long way and it has been enhanced each year by adding something more and something better. And that act of being freed from slavery we must never let that spirit die. We must keep it, we must nurture it, we must cherish it because it was obtained at a great price. And we today, we give thanks for all that was done by our forefathers and all that was done by those in England who realised that the time had come to get rid of that wicked institution, slavery.

And so we should remember that we have to keep up the tradition. We have to remember to give thanks to Almighty God also because it was his handy work that resulted in the abolition of the slave trade. So I want to beg you to enjoy yourself and I have been listening to Mr. Hurbert of ZBVI in the mornings. He is pleading with you to have good behaviours, no drunkenness, to control the traffic, if you drink do not drive and if you drive do not drink and I think that is a very good motto at this time.

Keep your head on and make sure that you drive safely and prevent accidents. I know that the members of the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force will be fully engaged in seeing that everything goes well. I have noticed that the festival grounds are getting well decorated and the various booths look very good indeed.

The festival village is named after Ms. Corrine Brewley and quite deservingly. And then there is the addition of a modern restroom which is fully equipped and this will help a lot. As I spoke to the people some time ago with the Honourable Elvis Harrigan, I said that

we must take good care of the restroom, keep it as clean as possible, and make sure that we exercise discretion when we have to use the facility.

Adding to the joy of the summer holidays, Cabinet on Wednesday agreed that the children who come from the countries where you have to get visas to come to the BVI, Cabinet agreed that the children could come here and get their visas here and what would happen as usually is immigration will keep their passports until they are ready to go back home.

It has worked well for two or three years now, and I see no reason why it should not continue that way.
Immigration will monitor this exercise and will make sure that the children who come in when the time is up they will go out. So I want to wish you again a pleasant and a happy holiday. Visit your old friends make new ones and have a good time.

Thank you very much!